Posts Tagged ‘joy’

I meet a lot of joyful people through my work. I spend much of my time showing generous people how much fun charitable giving can be. At Mennonite Foundation of Canada (MFC), we make giving joyful and easy. Spending so much time with generous people has affected my view of charitable giving and generosity. I have yet to meet a generous grumpy person. There is something about being generous, especially with your money, that affects you deeply and fills you with great joy. Givers aren’t just standing by, they are actively changing the world through their financial gifts. As an employee at the MFC, I sometimes have the opportunity to hand-deliver an unexpected gift to a charity and to hear first-hand how appreciative they are and what a difference the gift will make to their programs and the people they serve.

I was delighted to be a do-gooder in the 12 Days For Good campaign. It’s such a wonderful opportunity to remind everyone in Waterloo Region that each of us can make a difference, that each of us has the power to affect another positively, that each of us can change the world with just one small act of kindness at a time.

It’s easy to be overwhelmed when we consider the issues facing our Region – homelessness, addiction, abuse, neglect, underemployment, unemployment, violence, and poverty to name a few. These are complicated issued that don’t have simple answers. It would be easy to toss our hands up in the air or shrug our shoulders. But that’s not Waterloo Region. We make sure people have gifts and food for Christmas, that they have safe, supported housing, that addictions counselling is available, that families are supported to make healthy decisions, that there are safe and warm places to sleep, that new Canadians can access resources, that people are given the opportunity to have a different future. Waterloo Region is a place where everyone can belong and thrive; where everyone can have a seat at the table.

Thinking of the many ways that the people of Waterloo Region work to support each other fills me with joy. I have a deep sense of happiness that I live in a place where people care, are innovative and involved and continue to work on finding solutions for tough problems. I look around at the many agencies that are involved to support those in need and know that I won’t be alone when I need a hand.

I’m going to carry on the do-gooder campaign – it’s simply too much fun to stop after 12 days – so I’ll be looking for ways to share my joy and keep doing good for others here in Waterloo Region in the coming year. Care to join me?

Join Sherri in sharing joy and doing good in Waterloo Region on Twitter

Joy is what happens to us when we allow ourselves to recognize how good things really are << TWEET THIS

Giving and receiving gifts is a very important part of many cultures. They can re-affirm bonds of love and affection, connect communities and demonstrate respect and gratitude. For many cultures, birthdays are very important. In other cultures birthdays pass without any importance. In December, many people celebrate Christmas. For some, the spiritual implications are the most important. These people lament the commercialization of Christmas and believe that all of the spirit has gone out of it. They believe that Christmas should be about family and giving back to those less fortunate.

For others, spending time and money at the malls is the most important part. For many of us, what’s important falls somewhere between those two extremes and can change over time. As you get older, for example, you may come to appreciate the time spent with children and grandchildren. You may ask yourself, “what more do I need?” (more…)